If you need oak barrels, for wine making, at an affordable price, used oak barrels are a good option. We have used oak barrels in a variety of sizes, ranging from three to fifty-nine gallons, as well as oak gallon racks for your barrels, ranging from five to thirty gallons. We have good quality, used oak barrels for your winemaking needs. But why should you choose oak?
Why Use Oak for Wine Barrels?
Traditionally, oak barrels have been used in wine making for centuries, beginning as early as the Roman Empire. At that time, experiments using different woods were conducted to find a type that would be easy to work with and good for the wine. Oak not only served as an effective barrel material, but also had a positive effect on the wine. Wine aged in oak barrels took on new properties, became softer and occasionally improved in taste.
Oak allows for evaporation and oxidation at levels that does not spoil the wine, making it a suitable material for wine storage. Oak affects the tannins in wine, and the chemical properties of the wood can produce vanilla-like notes. After oak exposure, some wines take on caramel, cream or smoky notes
Oak can be used for aging your wine after it has fermented, or it can be used to ferment the wine from the start. Oak has a greater impact on aged wine than it does on wine being fermented because of the way the yeast in the wine reacts with the wood. The size of your oak barrel has an impact on what characteristics the wine will take on, as the surface area of the wine exposed to the wood varies based on volume; smaller barrels have a stronger effect on your wine.
Choosing Used Oak Barrels
If you are in the market for good quality oak barrels, the price can run extremely high. Wines spend at least a year, if not several, in the barrel as they age, meaning you need barrels for every fresh harvest year. After a while, the cost of barrels can add up, and choosing used oak barrels can make a big difference to your budget. Having high quality used barrel options is important, especially if you are a small production vineyard, or if you are a hobbyist producing for personal enjoyment. Harvest Express offer a wide range of used oak barrels for sale at affordable prices that can help keep you within your budget.
